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Tibetans in Nepal in legal limbo

Thousands of stateless Tibetans living in Nepal fear they may never gain refugee status.

02 Mar 2012 11:36 GMT

Over 13,000 Tibetans have been living in Nepal since the first wave of refugees arrived in 1959.

Yet half of them do not have documents to prove their refugee status. Since 1998, Nepal’s government has not issued any identity cards, leaving about 6,000 Tibetans living there stateless.

China treats Tibetans living in Nepal as illegal immigrants and expects Nepal’s government to be tough with them. With China’s growing influence in the region, and its increasing investment in the country, the Nepalese government often co-operates.